CBSE Class 7 Answered

The states of the eighteenth century can be divided into three overlapping groups:

1. The first group included states like Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad (old Mughal provinces). Even though the kingdom was extremely powerful and quite independent, the rulers of these states did not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor.
2. The second group included states which had enjoyed significant independence under the Mughals as watan jagirs. These included several Rajput principalities.

The last group included states under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats. These were of differing sizes and had seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-drawn armed struggle.